New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer will assume the governorship on Jan. 21, 2025, and begin his first four-year term in statewide office. Before then, he is compiling nominees for his Cabinet and Spotlight Delaware will be updating this list over the next month.
Secretary of Agriculture
Don Clifton
Don Clifton is the current executive director of the Delaware Farm Bureau. Raised on his family’s farm in Sussex County, Clifton has a deep understanding of farming operations, including grain, soybeans, and vegetable processing. His experience in vegetable processing and wastewater operations provides a hands-on commitment to agriculture’s environmental stewardship. He also led the Clifton Canning Company for nearly 50 years. Previously, Clifton served as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He also co-chaired former Gov. Ruth Ann Minner’s Strategic Economic Council for Agriculture and Biotechnology.Â
Secretary of Education
Department of Corrections Commissioner
Secretary of Finance
Michael Smith
Michael R. Smith has spent 18 years in finance leadership roles within state and county governments, advising senior cabinet members and elected officials on matters of finance, tax, and law. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for New Castle County.
Previously, Smith served as deputy director of the Delaware Division of Revenue. He earned his Juris Doctorate with a concentration in tax from the Widener University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in economics and finance from the University of Waterloo.
Secretary of Health & Human Services
Director of State Housing Authority
Secretary of Human Resources
Secretary of Labor
Director of Office of Management and Budget
Brian Maxwell
A lifelong Delawarean and a graduate of the University of Delaware, Brian Maxwell is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Children & Families First.
He previously served less than a year as director of the Office of Management and Budget in the last year of then-Gov. Jack Markell’s administration. Before that, he served as deputy director of the office for three years.
He also assisted the New Castle County Meyer administration with developing a long-term balanced financial plan and increasing transparency for county spending.
Major General of Delaware National Guard
Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Greg Patterson
Since February 2022, Greg Patterson has served as the Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator and Federal Affairs Coordinator for Gov. John Carney, overseeing the implementation of federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for key sectors such as broadband, water, energy, and transportation. In this role, Patterson also spearheaded successful legislative initiatives, including offshore wind procurement and traffic safety bills in 2023 and 2024.Â
Previously, Patterson served as chief of staff at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, advising the Secretary and managing the department’s operations. He also played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic and was redeployed to assist the Delaware Division of Public Health in communications and logistics for vaccine clinics.
Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security
Secretary of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families
Secretary of State
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez currently serves as the general manager of the New Castle County Department of Land Use. Prior to that, she served as economic development Director for New Castle County during the pandemic.
Born and raised in New Castle County, Patibanda-Sanchez is an attorney and economic development professional with experience in municipal and administrative law, practicing both in the private and public sectors. She began her public service as a judiciary fellow with U.S. Sen. Chris Coons in 2011.
Before returning home to Delaware in 2021, Charuni was an attorney in Los Angeles and co-founded The McOsker Group, where she developed political strategies for a variety of hospitality, media, outdoor advertising, healthcare, and development clients.
Chief Information Officer (DTI)
Secretary of Transportation
Shanté Hastings
Shanté A. Hastings, P.E., is the soon-to-be Acting Secretary for the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and has worked for DelDOT since graduating from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She has served as the chief engineer for the Department since July 1, 2019, and as Deputy Secretary from January 2021 – December 2024.
In 2024, she was named Government Engineer of the Year by the Delaware Engineering Society. She currently serves on the boards for Leadership Delaware, the Delaware State Fair, the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, and Sussex Academy Charter School. In May 2024, she was nominated and confirmed to the University of Delaware Board of Trustees.
Top Staff Members:
Chief of Staff : Vanessa Phillips
Chief Legal Counsel: Wilson B. Davis
Transition Director: Evelyn Waters Brady
Transition Communications Director: Mila A. Myles
Transition Digital Director: Ronald Vann
Transition Deputy Communications Director:Â Abigail Tracy
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